


behind a smile

by wednesdayevening



Category: Minecraft (Video Game), Video Blogging RPF
Genre: Angst, Blind Dream, Gen, Violence, im seeing so yell at me if i fuck shit up, its just a bit of swordplay really, no beta we die like l'manberg
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-26
Updated: 2020-11-26
Packaged: 2021-03-09 18:33:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,569
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27720770
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wednesdayevening/pseuds/wednesdayevening
Summary: “How the fuck - do you even - see out of that thing?” Technoblade hisses, mouth muffled slightly. He’s out of breath. Dream is too.He manages to shrug while blocking Techno’s oncoming attack. They spar for a brief moment before Dream lands a hit. “I’m just that good,” He says.or, the story behind dream's mask, told in angst.
Relationships: Clay | Dream & Dave | Technoblade, Clay | Dream & Dave | Technoblade & GeorgeNotFound, Clay | Dream & GeorgeNotFound (Video Blogging RPF)
Comments: 32
Kudos: 1071





	behind a smile

**Author's Note:**

> my friend said something about a fic where someone wondered how dream could see out of his mask and i was like huh. blind dream and then pulled this out of my ass. this is my first time using html text & im seeing so i hope this isnt bad but enjoy :)

Dream’s waited so long for this duel. 

There’s been word on the city streets for a while now that a new Champion is on the rise. The name Technoblade - the Blood God - has been circulating through the population, whispered under cupped hands. 

Sure, Dream still holds the Champion title - he has for three years now. And, honestly, his competition is getting boring. He defeats experienced swordsmen in minutes, outruns trained assassins in seconds. The idea of a possible rival - someone that can keep up with him - thrills Dream. 

He throws himself into training. Spends countless hours, days and nights at the Arena, learning every inch of the dueling space, practicing every possible move. He pours over books, forces George to read everything and anything he can get his hands on - books about enchantments, books about potions, even children’s tales of heroes and Gods. Training this religiously is something Dream hasn’t had the need to do since he was young and a new arrival in Hypixel, eager to prove himself and win, and he realises he’s missed it. 

“Dream?” George says. They’re in the Championship arena, in Dream’s preparation room. The match is yet to start, but he can already hear the crowd’s excited screaming. “You ready?”

“As I’ll ever be,” He replies. His hands slide over his Netherite chest plate, fingertips tracing the ridges of the runes. The chestplate is a perfect fit - Dream had it tailored - but he checks over it again, tightening the lapels and the straps. Just in case. 

George passes him his sword and he sheaths it on his back. There’s an axe at his side and daggers hidden in sheaths on his thighs. Crossbows are no use in the arena; it’s too small of an area for long-range weapons. 

He shifts his mask on his face and cracks his knuckles. As he bends down to pick up his shield, George barrels into him. 

“Good luck, Champion,” He whispers, hair tickling Dream’s collarbone. Dream shifts his arms to hug George properly. 

“Thanks, Georgie,” He says. “I’ll see you in a tic. Won’t be long!” 

George laughs, and then the gate to the arena rolls up. 

-

“How the fuck - do you even - see out of that thing?” Technoblade hisses, mouth muffled slightly. He’s out of breath. Dream is too. 

He manages to shrug while blocking Techno’s oncoming attack. They spar for a brief moment before Dream lands a hit. “I’m just that good,” He says. 

The Blood God huffs. Their swords clash, enchantments buzzing together. Dream grasps his sword tighter as Techno etches closer and flips back, landing on his hands, and springs up. He darts to his left, thrusting his sword forward, but before he can land another hit on his opponent, Techno’s boot collides with Dream’s chest. 

The crowd gasps in unison, and Dream would laugh at the comical aspect of it if it weren’t for the blade edging toward his throat. He ducks and rolls, raising his shield at the last second. Technoblade’s sword sinks into the cool metal and before he can wrench it out, Dream tosses it to the side. The audience loses it.

He hears Technoblade’s breath hitch and he grins under his mask, satisfied. He’s taken away the Blood God’s favourite weapon. The Champion steps forward, hands clasped around the raised hilt of his shining sword, ready to swing, ready to hear the other man’s mercy -

There’s a rustling sound, and then glass breaking, and then Dream hears nothing. 

Dream hears nothing. 

He stumbles, sword slipping from his hands. He’s shaking - maybe screaming, but he can’t tell. He feels his eyes flick around behind his mask uselessly, feels a vibration in his throat as soundless noise bubbles out of his mouth. He takes a trembling step, and then falls - falls and falls and _he can’t see he can’t hear where is the ground where is he _\- and then there’s sand in his face and behind the mask and in his hair and he can’t breathe. Anxiety pools and his chest and tightens in his shoulders, fills his lungs and drowns him. It’s like he’s in the Void - he can’t feel, can’t hear - can’t - can’t -__

__Dream falls._ _

__-_ _

__George has been Dream’s best friend since from the moment he stepped in the arena. George’s father was a Healer for the Championship, and he’d brought George with him that day, deeming him old enough to learn how to work. He’d watched through the window slates of the Healer’s shut as Dream ploughed through man after man, weapons dancing so gracefully in his fingertips. He made fighting look like pure _art _, and George was enraptured.___ _

____“Why the mask?” George had asked when Dream had stumbled into the Hut after being crowned Champion, nursing a dislocated shoulder and a full moneybag._ _ _ _

____Dream had hesitated. “Makes me look cool.”_ _ _ _

____His voice was a lot higher than George had expected. Dream was tall, and George had guessed - perhaps wrongly - that behind his white, smiling mask he was an adult. “How old are you?”_ _ _ _

____“...Fourteen,” The Champion said. “And three quarters. You won’t tell, will you?”_ _ _ _

____“Never,” George had said. To enter the Championship, one had to be at least sixteen. He had finished wrapping Dream’s shoulder and moved on to his other injuries. “Do you mind taking off your mask? Your cheek’s bleeding.”_ _ _ _

____Dream had flat out refused then, but years later, when George’s father had passed and they had moved into a dingy apartment together, he’d hung the mask on a hook at their front door. George had understood then, why Dream had made him read his books aloud and etch runes into his weapons._ _ _ _

____George remembers how Dream had once explained how much he relied on his hearing. “It’s how I see,” He’d said. “I - I can hear a lot better than anything else. I listen for the buzzing of enchantments or the sound of a bowstring drawing back or someone’s breathing. Dunno what I’d do if I couldn’t hear.”_ _ _ _

____George had known what the splash potion Technoblade had thrown was from his position in the Healer’s Hut. He’d screamed, but his cries were drowned out by the volume of the crowd behind him, and he could only watch as his best friend went down._ _ _ _

____Technoblade stops as Dream falls, hands in the air. “Something’s wrong,” George can hear him saying as he races across the arena. “I - I mercy, mercy, something’s wrong.”_ _ _ _

____The crowd falls silent. “Help me get him on the stretcher,” George barks._ _ _ _

____“What’s wrong with him?” Technoblade says. He lifts Dream onto the stretcher with ease._ _ _ _

____“Nothing,” George snaps, then softens slightly. “I - your potion - he can’t hear anything. He needs to hear.”_ _ _ _

____Technoblade picks up one end of the stretcher. He hears the confused murmuring from the crowd and the cogs turning in the Blood God’s head. “He’s blind,” He says quietly so only George can hear. “Fucking talented madman.”_ _ _ _

____George nods, the corners of his mouth turning up. Once they’re in the Healer’s Hut, he presses two fingers to Dream’s neck. “He’s fine, but out. How long does the potion last for?”_ _ _ _

____Techno removes his gloves and dumps his weapons on the table beside them before slumping into a chair. “Eight minutes, tops. I’m sorry,” He adds. “I didn’t mean for this to happen.”_ _ _ _

____“You didn’t know,” George says. Pauses. “Why’d you say mercy? You - you could’ve won.”_ _ _ _

____The other man shakes his head. Pink hair falls out from behind his mask. It’s a boar, and covers only half his face. George thinks it might be the both dumbest and coolest thing he’s ever seen. “It would’ve been an unfair fight. Virtually cheating. I don’t cheat. I’m winning on fair terms, or not at all.”_ _ _ _

____“I’ll see you again next Championship, then,” Comes a scratchy voice, and George startles._ _ _ _

____“Dream? How are you feeling? Can you hear me?”_ _ _ _

____“You’re - you’re cutting in and out,” Dream mumbles. “But, yeah. I can hear you.”_ _ _ _

____“You got balls, man,” The Blood God says, voice low._ _ _ _

____Dream wheezes. “You’re pretty good at fighting, Blade.”_ _ _ _

____“You’re not so bad yourself,” Techno smiles. “For what it’s worth, I’m sorry.”_ _ _ _

____Dream sits up wobbly, swinging his legs off the table they’d dumped the stretcher on. George can see the edges of the younger man’s grin behind his mask. “Save your apologies for when you lose. There’ll be thousands of bets riding on you beating me. A lot of men are gonna be angry when I win.”_ _ _ _

____“When _I _win, you mean?” Techno retorts. They all laugh.___ _ _ _

______Dream splits his winnings with Technoblade - “It wasn’t a fair win, either,” - and the next day the Blood God returns home to some far-off village. George writes down their address._ _ _ _ _ _

______“Keep in touch,” Dream says as Techno mounts his horse. “I need to know when you’re coming so I can fit you into my calendar. Being the reigning Champion is busy work, y’know. People to see. Places to go.”_ _ _ _ _ _

______Techno scoffs, picking up the reins. “I’ll write, your royal highness. You better start training, though. Tomorrow, when I’m home, I’ll pick up my sword, and I won’t put it down until I have to leave again.”_ _ _ _ _ _

______“Ha!” Dream cackles. “I’ll be a day ahead of you!”_ _ _ _ _ _

______Technoblade exhales. He shakes his head, raises his hand, then taps the side of his steed twice with his boots. George watches as he rides off._ _ _ _ _ _

______“Dream?”_ _ _ _ _ _

______“Yeah?”_ _ _ _ _ _

______“He just flipped you off.”_ _ _ _ _ _


End file.
